US3935420A - Means for guiding the welding unit of an automatic welding apparatus along the joint line between workpieces to be welded together - Google Patents

Means for guiding the welding unit of an automatic welding apparatus along the joint line between workpieces to be welded together Download PDF

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Publication number
US3935420A
US3935420A US05/425,797 US42579773A US3935420A US 3935420 A US3935420 A US 3935420A US 42579773 A US42579773 A US 42579773A US 3935420 A US3935420 A US 3935420A
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United States
Prior art keywords
joint line
welding
welding unit
workpieces
support member
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Expired - Lifetime
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US05/425,797
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English (en)
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Stig Rune Sandstrom
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
    • B23K9/00—Arc welding or cutting
    • B23K9/12—Automatic feeding or moving of electrodes or work for spot or seam welding or cutting
    • B23K9/122—Devices for guiding electrodes, e.g. guide tubes
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
    • B23K9/00—Arc welding or cutting
    • B23K9/02—Seam welding; Backing means; Inserts
    • B23K9/025—Seam welding; Backing means; Inserts for rectilinear seams

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to means for guiding the welding unit of an automatic welding apparatus along the joint line between work-pieces which are to be welded together, said welding unit being arranged for longitudinal and lateral movement relative to said joint line.
  • the main object of the present invention is to provide means for guiding the welding unit of automatic welding apparatus along the joint line between workpieces to be welded together, whereby the task of manually supervising the welding operation is obviated.
  • Welding bridges are normally arranged at uniformly spaced intervals along the workpieces, to position the workpieces relative to each other in preparation for making the continuous weld there along.
  • the distance between the weld bridges is normally 3- 5 dm, which means that the welding unit during its movement along a joint line, which may have length of from 1 to 2 meters, will be lifted a number of times, whereby the quality of the weld joint will vary along the joint line or the welding unit will fail to make a weld at places along the workpieces, owing to the fact that the electrode of the welding unit is moved to such a distance from the workpieces that the light arc is distinguished.
  • a further object of the invention is therefore to provide a guide means which operates in a manner such that the weld unit is not affected, or only slightly affected as the welding unit passes the aforementioned, pre-made weld bridges, and which permits large deviations between the direction of the joint and the long direction of the automatic welding apparatus without the quality of the weld being impaired.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, horizontal view of an automatic welding apparatus incorporating the guide means of the invention and having a carriage arranged to move longitudinally and a carriage arranged to move transversely.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the invention, comprising a joint following guide means having guide wheels and supporting wheels,
  • FIGS. 3-7 show different embodiments of the guide wheels and support wheels of the guide means shown in FIG. 2 for welding different types of weld joints.
  • the automatic welding apparatus shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 comprises a longitudinally extending beam 10 on which a carriage 11 is arranged for longitudinal movement.
  • the longitudinally extending beam 10 of the automatic welding apparatus is supported by two spaced-apart vertically movable frame arms 12, 13.
  • a transverse beam 14 is arranged on the carriage 11 substantially at right angles to the long beam.
  • a carriage 15 Arranged for transverse movements on the transverse beam 14 is a carriage 15 provided with a driving motor.
  • the carriage 15 supports the welding unit 16.
  • the workpieces are first positioned adjacent each other in the desired manner on the working table of said apparatus.
  • the longitudinally movable carriage 11 is brought to its starting position and the transversely movable carriage 15 is moved on the transverse beam 14 until the electrode of the welding unit 16 is located centrally above the joint line.
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional view through the joint-line following means of the present invention.
  • the joint line following means is attached to the welding unit and includes a guide wheel 17 arranged to roll in the joint line during an automatic welding operation.
  • the guide wheel is rotatably mounted on a shaft 18 arranged on a vertically movable rod 19.
  • the frame is mounted to a structure 20 capable of being pivoted around two pins 43, 44, and is provided with a shoulder 21 against one end of which a pressure spring 22 is arranged to abut.
  • the other end of the pressure spring is arranged to abut a bearing sleeve 23 for the rod 19 inserted in the structure 20, the arrangement being such that the rod is normally held in its lowermost, fully outwardly extended position by a force of certain magnitude, in which position a plate 24 attached to the rod abuts a stop surface 25 on the pivotable structure 20.
  • the guide wheel 17 rolls in the joint line during a welding operation, part of the rod 19, however, is located in the structure 20, so that as the guide wheel passes the end of the workpieces the rod 19 will be projected further out of the structure 20.
  • the wheel 17 If the width of the joint line is too small to accomodate the wheel 17 during its passage along the joint line, or the wheel 17 meets a welding bridge, the wheel will be urged upwards, whereupon the rod 19 carrying the wheel is pushed into the structure 20 against the action of the spring 22. Subsequent to the wheel passing the welding bridge or when the width of the joint line is sufficient to accomodate the wheel, the rod 19 is moved out of the structure 20 by means of the spring 20, so that the wheel is returned into the joint line and continues to roll along the same.
  • the rod 19 supporting the wheel 17 is so arranged that said rod is moved out of the pivotable structure to a certain extent by the spring at the end of the joint line, at the end of the workpieces.
  • the upper end of the rod 19 is provided with a plate 26 which during a joint-line following operation lies remote from an electric switch 27 stationarily arranged on one side of the rod 19.
  • the rod 19 is extended by the spring to its maximum extent, whereby the plate 26 on the rod 19 actuates the switch 27.
  • the switch 27 is connected in an electric-current circuit, which is arranged so that actuation of the switch can be used to lock the welding unit securely to the carriage 15, via a relay or like device, so that the welding unit does not fall against the workpieces when a further supporting wheel 28, hereinafter described, passes the end edges of the workpieces.
  • actuation of the switch can be used to lock the welding unit securely to the carriage 15, via a relay or like device, so that the welding unit does not fall against the workpieces when a further supporting wheel 28, hereinafter described, passes the end edges of the workpieces.
  • the guide wheel 28 is arranged to engage at least one, and preferably both workpieces during a welding operation.
  • the support wheel 28 is mounted for rotation on a shaft 29, which is journalled between the legs of a bifurcate member 30a, which is attached to a supporting portion 30, which in turn is mounted on the welding unit 16.
  • the welding unit is arranged on the transversely movable carriage 15 and is mounted for vertical movement by means of a plain bearing, so that the support wheel 28 will guide the welding unit vertically over the joint line.
  • the welding unit 16 together with the weld electrode 16a has been shown with dash-dot lines in FIG. 2, the pivotable structure 20 and the switch 27 are also mounted on the support member 30.
  • the bifurcate member 30a is provided with a downwardly projecting plate 31, which is arranged to support an asbestos plate 32.
  • the lower portion of the plate 31 is angled, so that the end of the plate projects into the space formed between the support wheel 28 and the workpieces and welding nozzle respectively.
  • the lowermost end of the plate 31 has a U-shaped edge 31a and is provided at a position above said edge 31a with an outwardly projecting arm 33 having a curved edge 34 at its free end.
  • a new asbestos plate 32 can be readily inserted between the U-shaped lower edge 31a and the curved upper edge 34 when required.
  • the purpose of the asbestos plate is to prevent splashes from the weld electrode 16a during a welding operation from striking the support wheel 28 and adhering thereto, while at the same time protecting the support wheel and its bearings from heat radiating from the weld.
  • a special advantage afforded by the asbestos plate is that it does not constitute a surface against which splashes occurring from the weld electrode could, as would a metal plate.
  • the ease in which the asbestos plate can be replaced also enables the operator to insert a new asbestos plate with the minimum of time loss.
  • the protective asbestos plate is particularly advantageous, since in order to afford optimum vertical guidance of the weld unit, the support wheel should be located close to the weld electrode 16a.
  • FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically a guide wheel 17 located in a joint line between two workpieces 35 and 36.
  • the shape of the guide wheel can be chosen according to the shape of the joint being made.
  • the support wheel here designated 28, has the form of a cylinder with two outwardly projecting flanges 28a and 28b arranged one at either end thereof.
  • the cylinder is so dimensioned that the two flanges 28a and 28b lie on either side of the joint line between the workpieces 35 and 36, as shown in the Figure. In this way there is ensured positive abutment between the support wheel and the workpieces.
  • the cylinder is mounted for rotation in a bifurcate portion 30a connected with the support member 30.
  • the support member 30, and therewith also the welding unit will thus follow the workpieces at a determined and manually adjustable distance above the joint to be welded. The distance of the welding unit above the joint line during a welding operation is thus not affected by any deviations in width of the joint line, neither is it affected by the occurrence of welding bridges between the two workpieces.
  • FIG. 5 shows an embodiment having a support wheel 37 for effecting a weld in the external angle between two obliquely positioned plates 38 and 39.
  • FIG. 6 shows an embodiment having a support wheel 40 for effecting a weld at the internal connection between two plates 41 and 42 placed angularly with respect to each other.
  • FIG. 7 shows a modified embodiment of the guide wheel 17 for effecting a weld of the type shown in FIG. 6.
  • the rod 19 supporting the guide wheel 17 is arranged in a structure 20 which is pivotally mounted around two pins 43 and 44, so that said structure can pivot around the axes of said pins.
  • the pivoting movement of the structure 20 is utilized to guide a servo means (not shown) arranged to control an electric drive motor for the transversely movable carriage 15, so that said carriage can be moved on the transverse beam 14 in a direction such as to compensate pivoting movement of the rod.
  • the joint-line following means of the present invention has been described solely with reference to one embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the said means can be modified and changed in a number of ways within the scope of the inventive idea.
  • the support wheel can be replaced by a runner-like slide means, in the slide surfaces of which can be arranged balls or rollers for reducing the friction between said slide surfaces and the workpieces.
  • one support wheel on only one side of the joint line, in which case said support wheel should only be arranged to support the whole weight of the welding unit.
  • the design of the support member may be adapted to the weld to be made.
  • the support member in a manner such that it can be readily replaced.
  • This is also applicable to the guide wheel, which should be readily replaceable so that said means can be adapted to different types of welds and chamfers on the edges of the workpieces. It is also conceivable to replace the guide wheel with a guide pin or a guide plate arranged to follow the joint line. If the welding unit is light or the weight of said unit is balanced, the aforementioned servo control may optionally be excluded and the guide member may be arranged to effect the desired displacement of the welding unit during a jointline following operation by a direct mechanical connection with said welding unit.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Butt Welding And Welding Of Specific Article (AREA)
US05/425,797 1972-12-29 1973-12-18 Means for guiding the welding unit of an automatic welding apparatus along the joint line between workpieces to be welded together Expired - Lifetime US3935420A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SW17202/72 1972-12-29
SE17202/72A SE368923B (pt) 1972-12-29 1972-12-29

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3935420A true US3935420A (en) 1976-01-27

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US05/425,797 Expired - Lifetime US3935420A (en) 1972-12-29 1973-12-18 Means for guiding the welding unit of an automatic welding apparatus along the joint line between workpieces to be welded together

Country Status (7)

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US (1) US3935420A (pt)
JP (1) JPS4998355A (pt)
DE (1) DE2364691A1 (pt)
FR (1) FR2212208B1 (pt)
GB (1) GB1420379A (pt)
NL (1) NL7317702A (pt)
SE (1) SE368923B (pt)

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4179059A (en) * 1977-04-06 1979-12-18 Santa Fe International Corporation Automatic pipe welding apparatus and method
DE3439096A1 (de) * 1983-10-31 1985-05-09 ASEA AB, Västerås Roboter, insbesondere fuer schweissarbeiten
US6302315B1 (en) 2000-05-01 2001-10-16 General Tool Company Friction stir welding machine and method
WO2008033653A1 (en) * 2006-09-11 2008-03-20 Lincoln Global, Inc. Welding apparatus
US9266198B1 (en) 2014-09-05 2016-02-23 Lincoln Global, Inc. Cart for welding operation
CN105728916A (zh) * 2016-04-21 2016-07-06 藤县顺舟造船有限公司 一种氩弧焊机喷嘴的安装结构
US20170014936A1 (en) * 2015-07-15 2017-01-19 Airbus Operations (S.A.S.) Weld protecting device by gas diffusion
US9724789B2 (en) 2013-12-06 2017-08-08 Lincoln Global, Inc. Mobile welding system
US10539942B2 (en) * 2016-05-06 2020-01-21 Hypertherm, Inc. Controlling plasma arc processing systems and related systems and devices
CN113478138A (zh) * 2021-06-09 2021-10-08 绍兴上虞舜宏化工设备有限公司 一种自动化焊接系统
CN116713658A (zh) * 2023-08-11 2023-09-08 湖南煤矿安全装备有限公司 化学氧自救器药罐自动焊接装置

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5759252Y2 (pt) * 1977-03-30 1982-12-17
JPS54132447A (en) * 1977-10-20 1979-10-15 Ono Kougiyou Yuugen Self running welder
CN108237356A (zh) * 2017-05-18 2018-07-03 佛山林稷机电科技有限公司 一种便捷的电焊装置
CN108237357A (zh) * 2017-05-18 2018-07-03 佛山林稷机电科技有限公司 一种电焊接装置

Citations (5)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2911517A (en) * 1957-12-10 1959-11-03 Babcock & Wilcox Co Twin electrode welding method and apparatus
US3171012A (en) * 1962-03-26 1965-02-23 Laurel A Morehead Automatic groove follower for welding apparatus
US3258577A (en) * 1962-12-17 1966-06-28 Babcock & Wilcox Ltd Welding
US3510626A (en) * 1967-09-18 1970-05-05 Osaka Transformer Co Ltd Apparatus for welding hollow workpieces from the inside
US3783222A (en) * 1972-05-16 1974-01-01 Columbia Gas Syst Service Corp Welding torch oscillator and positioner

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR694931A (fr) * 1929-05-01 1930-12-09 Gasaccumulator Svenska Ab Perfectionnements aux appareils automatiques à souder
US3437786A (en) * 1966-02-21 1969-04-08 Arcos Corp Magnetic crawler
US3594540A (en) * 1969-07-07 1971-07-20 Edward J Weinfurt Tracking transducer for welding apparatus

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2911517A (en) * 1957-12-10 1959-11-03 Babcock & Wilcox Co Twin electrode welding method and apparatus
US3171012A (en) * 1962-03-26 1965-02-23 Laurel A Morehead Automatic groove follower for welding apparatus
US3258577A (en) * 1962-12-17 1966-06-28 Babcock & Wilcox Ltd Welding
US3510626A (en) * 1967-09-18 1970-05-05 Osaka Transformer Co Ltd Apparatus for welding hollow workpieces from the inside
US3783222A (en) * 1972-05-16 1974-01-01 Columbia Gas Syst Service Corp Welding torch oscillator and positioner

Cited By (22)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4179059A (en) * 1977-04-06 1979-12-18 Santa Fe International Corporation Automatic pipe welding apparatus and method
DE3439096A1 (de) * 1983-10-31 1985-05-09 ASEA AB, Västerås Roboter, insbesondere fuer schweissarbeiten
US6302315B1 (en) 2000-05-01 2001-10-16 General Tool Company Friction stir welding machine and method
US6554175B1 (en) 2000-05-01 2003-04-29 General Tool Company Friction stir welding machine and method
US20030209586A1 (en) * 2000-05-01 2003-11-13 General Tool Company Friction stir welding machine and method
US6742696B2 (en) 2000-05-01 2004-06-01 General Tool Company Friction stir welding machine
WO2008033653A1 (en) * 2006-09-11 2008-03-20 Lincoln Global, Inc. Welding apparatus
US20080093345A1 (en) * 2006-09-11 2008-04-24 Enyedy Edward A Welding apparatus
US7745757B2 (en) 2006-09-11 2010-06-29 Lincoln Global, Inc. Welding apparatus for carrying a welding gun along a surface to be welded
US10543572B2 (en) 2013-12-06 2020-01-28 Lincoln Global, Inc. Mobile welding system
US9724789B2 (en) 2013-12-06 2017-08-08 Lincoln Global, Inc. Mobile welding system
US11267083B2 (en) 2013-12-06 2022-03-08 Lincoln Global, Inc. Mobile welding system
US9266198B1 (en) 2014-09-05 2016-02-23 Lincoln Global, Inc. Cart for welding operation
US20170014936A1 (en) * 2015-07-15 2017-01-19 Airbus Operations (S.A.S.) Weld protecting device by gas diffusion
CN106346117A (zh) * 2015-07-15 2017-01-25 空中客车运营简化股份公司 利用气体扩散的焊接保护装置
CN105728916A (zh) * 2016-04-21 2016-07-06 藤县顺舟造船有限公司 一种氩弧焊机喷嘴的安装结构
US10539942B2 (en) * 2016-05-06 2020-01-21 Hypertherm, Inc. Controlling plasma arc processing systems and related systems and devices
US10955807B2 (en) 2016-05-06 2021-03-23 Hypertherm, Inc. Controlling plasma arc processing systems and related systems and devices
CN113478138A (zh) * 2021-06-09 2021-10-08 绍兴上虞舜宏化工设备有限公司 一种自动化焊接系统
CN113478138B (zh) * 2021-06-09 2023-11-28 绍兴上虞舜宏化工设备有限公司 一种自动化焊接系统
CN116713658A (zh) * 2023-08-11 2023-09-08 湖南煤矿安全装备有限公司 化学氧自救器药罐自动焊接装置
CN116713658B (zh) * 2023-08-11 2023-10-24 湖南煤矿安全装备有限公司 化学氧自救器药罐自动焊接装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1420379A (en) 1976-01-07
DE2364691A1 (de) 1974-07-04
FR2212208A1 (pt) 1974-07-26
SE368923B (pt) 1974-07-29
FR2212208B1 (pt) 1977-06-10
JPS4998355A (pt) 1974-09-18
NL7317702A (pt) 1974-07-02

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